Ore. official doesn’t seek re-election so her daughter can attend Mandarin immersion program

Wahkiakum County Commissioner Lisa Marsyla will not seek re-election, saying she needs more time for parenting.

Marsyla, who has an adopted daughter from China, said in a prepared statement that she has a “wonderful opportunity to potentially enroll my daughter in a Mandarin immersion program, which, if accepted, would take us outside the county several days a week.”

Participation in the program would require regular commutes to Portland. “I feel like I wouldn’t be able to meet the time commitment required to be a commissioner,” Marsyla said Monday.

Marsyla will not know until some time in April whether her daughter will be accepted into the program. However, she didn’t want to delay potential candidates from seeking the seat.

“I was hoping to find out if she was accepted or not before deciding whether or not to run,” Marsyla said, “but I felt like if I waited until I knew, that it wouldn’t give people enough time to decide if they were interested in running for election.”